H-0725.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 1110

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1995 Regular Session

By Representatives Buck, Fuhrman, Pennington, Silver, Johnson, Brumsickle, Stevens, Hargrove and Benton

Read first time 01/13/95.  Referred to Committee on Natural Resources.

Prohibiting the department of natural resources from entering into certain agreements with the federal government without prior legislative and gubernatorial approval.

    AN ACT Relating to the department of natural resources; and adding a new section to chapter 43.30 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 43.30 RCW to read as follows:

    The department of natural resources is prohibited from entering into any agreement and from making any commitment intended to induce the issuance of a permit from the federal government which, individually or together with any other agreement or commitment affects more than ten thousand acres of public and/or state forest land for five or more years unless the department has obtained express legislative and gubernatorial approval of the terms of such agreement or commitment.  Agreements and commitments to which this section applies include but are not limited to conservation plans and incidental take permits under 15 U.S.C. Sec. 1539(a), and all other agreements, management plans, and "no-take" or similar letters relating to the federal endangered species act, as it now exists or may hereafter be amended.  Approval must be in the form of duly enacted legislation.  Prior to seeking approval, the department shall provide the legislature and governor with copies of all proposed plans, agreements, and commitments, together with a complete analysis demonstrating that the proposed agreement or commitment is in the best interests of the affected entities, trust beneficiary, other public entity, or the public at large, as the case may be.

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